Container



Jan. 26, 1965 P, NQRTHWAY 3,167,233

CONTAINER Filed June 13, 1961 FIG.I HZ FIG-3 f INVENTOR.

3/ as 28 44 PAUL D.NORTHWAY L u /30 BY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,167,233 CONTAINER Paul D. Northway, Palos Verdes, Califi, assignor to International Paper Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 13, 1961, Ser. No. 116,738 6 Claims. (Cl. 229-23) This invention relates to boxes and more particularly to a box fomed of paperboard and wood that has high stacking strength and that is capable of retaining a large measure of strength under adverse conditions of dampness and humidity.

It is commonplace to stack packed boxes one on the other during shipment or in storage. Often the walls of the lowermost boxes lack adequate strength to withstand the Weight of the other boxes and give way, with the result that the contents of one or more boxes may be damaged beyond use. This is particularly true where the walls have been weakened by moisture.

Perishable foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are stored under refrigeration and when removed to a warm, relatively humid atmosphere, moisture condenses on the product and comes into contact with the inside surfaces of the box. It is well known that moistrure adversely affects the strength of paperboard. When the boxes are stacked one on the other the weakened walls of the lowermost boxes tend to give way under the weight of the other boxes, resulting in great damage to the contents of the boxes and complete destruction of the boxes themselves.

For this reason wood boxes are commonly used where stacking strength under moist or humid conditions is required in spite of their expense and attendant difliculties in handling. Such wood boxes are quite expensive and utilize wood in places where the properties of wood are either not actually needed or, in fact, may not be desirable.

It has been found that a composite box formed of paperboard and wood has the highly desired stacking strength of all-wood constructions without the drawbacks normally associated with wood boxes. An important feature of this invention relates to the provision of a box having allwood or part-wood end members that bear the weight of the boxes stacked thereon and prevent any weight from reaching the unreinforced paperboard portions of the box.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a composite wood and paperboard box capable of withstanding large vertical stacking loads even when wet.

The bottoms of paperboard boxes tend to bulge outwardly under the weight of their contents, particularly when the boxes are stored or stacked one on the other for a prolonged length of time. Under such conditions, if the bottoms have been weakened by moisture, rupture frequently occurs, resulting in destruction of the box and its contents. It has been found that if the bottoms are properly supported to prevent bulging, rupture will not occur.

It is, therefore, another object of this invention to provide a box having means, preferably in the form of slats aflixed to the top flaps, to support the bottom of a like box stacked thereon. It is a further object of this invention to utilize these slats to perform another function; that being, to effectively secure the cover or top flaps to the box proper after it has been filled.

As a general rule, boxes of this nature, particularly wood boxes, have a cover separate from the box itself that is used to close it after filling. Boxes having an integral cover have distinct advantages over boxes having separate covers in that handling, e.g., assembling, is obviously considerably easier. Therefore, it is a further object of this invention to provide a box so constructed 3,157,233 Patented Jan. 26, 1965 that when it is assembled for loading it constitutes a onepiece unit with an integral cover, thereby eliminating the necessity of an extra component or separate cover such as now used on existing boxes.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to following detailed description and accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of the box blank and the end pads of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container, with one of the attaching flanges in its unfolded position and one of the top closure flaps in its open position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary end view of two assembled boxes, one stacked on the other;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modification of the box of this invention.

The box 48 seen in FIG. 2, and as characterized by this invention, is formed from a one-piece blank 10 (FIG. 1) of paper stock, preferably corrugated paperboard, two wood slats 44 and two end members 32.

The blank 10 has longitudinal fold lines 20 and transverse fold lines 22 which generally define and hingedly connect a bottom panel 24, side wall panels 26, top closure flaps 28 and attaching flanges 3i and 31. The longitudinal edges of the blank are notched at 29 to permit the flanges to be folded inwardly in the erected structure to lie normal to the end members 32. These V-shaped notches further define the flanges 30 and 31.

The end members 32 are preformed prior to their incorporation into the box structure and each consists of a substantially rectangular wood frame to which an end pad 12 is aflixed by staples or a like means. The wood frames are formed by nailing or otherwise securing horizontal and vertical food frame members or struts 34 and 35 together.

Means are provided to secure the cover or top flaps 28 to the box proper after it is filled and to support the bottom of a like box stacked thereon, preferably in the form of slats 44 affixed lengthwise of the box by glue or a like means to the outer surfaces of the top flaps 28 approximately equi-distant between the fold lines 22 defining the top flaps and their outer edges.

To erect the box, the preformed end members 32 are positioned perpendicular to the bottom panel 24 with the lowermost outer edges of the lowermost struts 34 adja cent the fold lines 20. With the end members in place the box is readily completed by folding the side panels 26 and the attaching flanges 31 perpendicular to the bottom panel and the attaching flanges 30 perpendicular to the side panels. Thus folded, the attaching flanges 30 and 31 are positioned against the outer portions of the wood frames and are attached in this position by staples 42 or a like means, thereby completing the formation of the box.

If desired the formation of the box may be carried out manually. However, because of its simplicity it readity lends itself to rapid machine assembly. The end members, for example, can be fastened to the flanges either by machine or hand stitching, gluing, nailing or a combination of these means.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the end pads 12 are aflixed to the inner portions of the frames, thereby leaving outwardly facing recesses defined by the frames and the end pads. These recesses enable the box to be handled with great ease, because the fingers of the user can be inserted under the uppermost struts 34 of the frame to lift the box.

The top flaps 28, with the slats 44 afiixed thereto, function as a cover member for the box. These flaps, of course, are integral with the box itself and eliminate the necessity of the separate lids or covers now being used on existing boxes of this type. Without the slats, the

' top flaps would not be rigid and, therefore, not capable of performing this function. The permanent closure is accomplished by nailing or otherwise securing the top 'fiaps to the -uppermost struts 34 of the wood. frames through the slats 44. V

It is possible to eliminate the top 'fiaps 28 and use a separate cover such as the'conventional veneer wood lid 7 now being used in closing all wood containers. Even when this'is done, the weight of stacked boxes is still absorbed by the end members. r

The slats 44 are-positioned approximately. equidistant between the edges of the .top flap to which they'are afof time without damage to the boxes or theircontents.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, when the boxes are stacked one on the other, the wood frames of the end members 32 bear the vertical loads and prevent any weight from reaching the unreinforced portions of the box, such as the side walls thereof. The end members and bottom panel 'of' the uppermost box in a stack rest on the slats 44 of the 'box directly underneath it and these slats'in turn rest on and are affixed to the'end members 32 of the box of which they are a part, thereby insuring that the vertical loads are carried by the reinforcing or wood members of the container. Therefore, a great number of these boxes can be stacked one on the other even when the unrei'nforced parts of the box have been weakened by moisture,

course, simplifies the construction of the box since obviously the end members are easy to form. In all other respects the box functions in substantially the same man'- ner as the box shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. r 7

What is claimed is:

1. A box comprising a bottom panel, side panels and attaching flanges connected to each other, endmembers perpendicular to said bottom panel and said side panels,

saidside'panels being perpendicular to said bottom panel,

said attaching flanges being perpendicular to said bottom panel and said'side panels} and secured to the outer sur- 2 face of said end members and each of said end members, consisting of a substantially rectangular'woodframe having an end pad afiixed thereto.

2. Albox comprising a bottom panel, side panels and attaching flanges connected to eachother, end' members perpendicular to said bottom panel and said side panels, said side panels being perpendicular to said bottom panel, said attaching flanges being perpendicular to said bottom panel and said side panels and secured to the outer surface of saidend members and each of said end members consisting of a substantially rectangular wood shook.

31A box comprising a bottom-panel, side panels, attaching flanges and top flaps connected to each other, end members perpendicular to said bottom panel and said side panels, said sidepanels being perpendicular to said bottom panel, said attaching flanges being perpendicular to said bottom panel and said side panels and secured to the outer surface of said end members and each of said'endrnembers consisting of a substantially rectangular wood frame "having an end'pad affixed thereto and each of said top panels havinga single slat afiixed to its outer surface.

7 4. In the box as set forth in claim 3, each of said slats being positioned lengthwise of said box and substantially equi-distant between the edges of the said top flap to which it is affixed.

5. A box comprising a bottom panel, side panels, attaching flanges and top flaps connected to each other, end members perpendicular to said bottom panel and said side panels,.said side panels being perpendicular to said bottom panel, said attaching flanges be'ing perpendicular to said bottom panel and said side panels and secured to the outer surface of said end members and each of said end member's consisting of a substantially rectangular wood shook and each of said top'panels having a single slat 'afiixed to its outer surface.

6. In the box as set forth in claim 5, each of said slats being positioned lengthwise of said box and'substantially equi-dist-ant'between the edges of thesaid topflap to which it is atfixed. I V

RferencesCi'ted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS VFRANKLINSTFGARRETT, Primary Examiner.

EARLE'I. DRUMMOND, Examiner. 

1. A BOX COMPRISING A BOTTOM PANEL, SIDE PANELS AND ATTACHING FLANGES CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER, END MEMBERS PERPENDICULAR TO SAID BOTTOM PANEL AND SAID SIDE PANELS, SAID SIDE PANELS BEING PERPENDICULAR TO SAID BOTTOM PANEL, SAID ATTACHING FLANGES BEING PERPENDICULAR TO SAID BOTTOM PANEL AND SAID SIDE PANELS AND SECURED TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID END MEMBERS AND EACH OF SAID END MEMBERS CONSISTING OF A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR WOOD FRAME HAVING AN END PAD AFFIXED THERETO. 